Apparatus for chipping scrap materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for reducing bulk materials such as scrap lumber, metal and masonry to fist-sized chunks to facilitate disposal of the same. Sharp-pointed, hammerlike knives pivoted between pairs of spaced plates on a common horizontal driven shaft pass downwardly in sequence past an anvil to shear off pieces of scrap fed across the anvil. Materials too bulky or hard to be sheared by the knives pivot the knives rearwardly to increase the clearance between knives and anvil and thus permit such materials to pass through the apparatus without damaging the mechanism. The apparatus is mounted on a wheeled vehicle which also carries a vibratory conveyor and comblike material straightener for feeding scrap into the chipping apparatus in an orderly manner and at a predetermined rate.

United States Patent 3,244,049 4/1966 Smith 1,281,829 10/1918 Plaisted Inventor Stanley V. Ehrlich Portland, Oreg.

Appl. No. 71 1,658

Filed Mar. 8, 1968 Patented May 25, 1971 Assignee Western Manufacturing, Inc.

Portland, Oreg.

APPARATUS FOR CHIPPING SCRAP MATERIALS 29 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 241/186, 241/190, 241/194 Int. Cl ..B02c 13/04, B02c 18/06, B02c 13/286 FieldoiSearch 241/138, 142, 186, 190, 194, 195, 243

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly Attorney-Buckhom, Blore, Klarquist and Sparkman ABSTRACT: An apparatus for reducing bulk materials such as scrap lumber, metal and masonry to fist-sized chunks to facilitate disposal of the same. Sharp-pointed, hammerlike knives pivoted between pairs of spaced plates on a common horizontal driven shaft pass downwardly in sequence past an anvil to shear off pieces of scrap fed across the anvil. Materials too bulky or hard to be sheared by the knives pivot the knives rearwardly to increase the clearance between knives and anvil and thus permit such materials to pass through the apparatus without damaging the mechanism. The apparatus is mounted on a wheeled vehicle which also carries a vibratory conveyor and comblike material straightener for feeding scrap into the chipping apparatus in an orderly manner and at a predetermined rate.

Patented May 25, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 STANLEY V. EHRLICH INVENTOR BY BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN ATTORNEYS Pitented May 25, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR STANLEY V. EHRUCH BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 I65 l I62 llllllllllllllllllll lIll \L STANLEY v. EHRLICH.

INVENTOR BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST 8. $PARKMAN ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR CHIPPING SCRAP MATERIALS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to chipping apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for reducing the size of bulk scrap materials.

2. Description of the Prior Art Ordinary wood chippers have rotative cutting blades which rotate in a fixed, preset relationship to a stationary cutting edge to cut up fibrous materials fed into the path of the moving blades. However, such chippers would be unsuitable for comminuting generalscrap materials including metals and masonry because of the relatively light-duty construction of the blades and fixed relationship between the stationary and moving blades.

I-lammennills commonly rely on impact between moving hammer members and stationary anvils to crush or pulverize compressible materials into units of reduced size. However, because many scrap materials, including metals, masonry and lengths of aged lumber are relatively hard and incompressible, hammermills are not adapted for use in comminuting such materials.

Nevertheless, there has long been a need for apparatus capable of chopping or otherwise reducing to small pieces, general scrap, including lumber, metal and masonry, resulting from the wrecking of houses, buildings and other structures to facilitate removal of such scrap from the wrecking site. Recently, with the increase in large scale wrecking of entire urban neighborhoods in furtherance of government sponsored urban renewal programs, this need has become acute.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention fulfills the foregoing need in providing an apparatus especially suited for chipping bulk scrap materials, including wood, metal and masonry objects into relatively small chunks which simplicity the transportation and disposal of such materials. The apparatus of the invention utilizes a combination impact and shear principle to shear scrap into small pieces. To accomplish this, the chipping apparatus includes a series of rotating hammerlike knives with heavy, enlarged cutting heads passing in close proximity to a stationary shear block or anvil to shear upon impact wood, metal and masonry scrap materials into small chunks. Each hammerlike knife is mounted for rearward pivoting movement as it rotates to permit retraction of the cutting head from the shear block upon encountering material too hard or bulky to be sheared.

Primary objects of the invention are to provide:

1. Apparatus capable of reducing bulk scrap materials such as lumber, metals and masonry to particulate form;

2. Apparatus as aforesaid including unique hammerlike knives capable of shearing upon impact most bulk scrap materials, including lumber, metals and masonry;

3. Apparatus as aforesaid incorporating means for preventing damage to the apparatus upon encountering objects incapable of size reduction;

4. Apparatus as aforesaid capable of passing objects therethrough incapable of size reduction without damaging the apparatus;

5. Apparatus as aforesaid which is portable and usable at the wrecking site;

6. Apparatus as aforesaid which includes a self-feeding feature;

7. Apparatus as aforesaid which includes adjustable means for varying the rate of feed of materials into the apparatus;

8. Apparatus as aforesaid which includes adjustable means for varying the size of particles produced by the apparatus;

9. Apparatus as aforesaid incorporating a unique means for delivering materials to the shearing components thereof;

l0. Apparatus as aforesaid including a means for straightening scrap materials prior to their introduction into the shearing portion thereof; and

11. Apparatus as aforesaid which is simple and economical to construct, operate and maintain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a trailer-mounted chipping apparatus and means for feeding material into the apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the chipping apparatus on an enlarged scale taken approximately along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 with a portion of the housing broken away to reveal some of the interior operating parts of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of one of the hammer knife 7 elements shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the hammer knife of FIG. 6; and FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the hammer knife of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION a. General Assembly With reference to the drawings, a chipping apparatus of the invention indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 is shown mounted on a trailer vehicle 12 including a frame portion 14 supported on tandem rear wheels 16 and a telescoping front leg 18. The trailer includes a platform 20 which mounts at its forward end a fuel tank 21 for supplying an internal combustion engine 22 mounted just rearwardly of the fuel tank for driving the chipper.

The major portion of the length of the trailer platform rearwardly of chipper I0 is occupied by a special scrap receiving and feeding bin 24 which is mounted on a downward inclination toward the chipping apparatus for vibratory motion so as to serve as a means for feeding scrap material to the chipper. The bin includes a bottom wall 26 and upright sidewalls 28, 29 which flare outwardly at the rear end of the bin. The bin has an open top and an open rear infeed end 30 though which material can be delivered to the bin. The bin also has an open front outfeed end 32 adjacent an infeed opening of the chipper.

The bin is supported on the trailer platform by a front set of coil springs 34 and rear set of coil springs 36. A double pin connecting link 38 joins the front end of the bin to the platfonn to prevent vertical motion at the front end of the bin but permit longitudinal oscillating motion. The rear end of the bin includes a pin 40 connected eccentrically to drive disc 42 having a rotary axis 44 offset from the axis of pin connection 40. Rotary disc 42 is driven about it axis 44 by a suitable motor 46 through a belt and pulley drive 48 to provide the rear end of the bin with a rotary vibratory motion and the front of the bin with an oscillating motion. Thus the bin serves as a vibratory conveyor which shakes material fed into the bin to cause it to gravitate down the inclined plane defined by bottom wall 26 of the bin toward the infeed opening of chipper l0.

Mounted within the front end of bin 24 adjacent its outfeed opening is a rake means indicated generally at 50. The rake means includes a transversely extending cylindrical feed roll 52 having tines or spikes 54 extending radially from the peripheral surface of the roll. The roll is rotatably mounted by a roll shaft 56 joumaled at the front end of a pair of laterally opposed pivot arms 58, the rear ends of which are carried on a transverse pivot shaft 60, joumaled in the opposite sides of the bin. The upper end of a generally vertical lever arm 62 is connected to an outer extension of shaft 60, and the lower end of the lever arm is connected to the outer end of a piston rod 64 of a hydraulic cylinder 66 mounted on the outside of bin sidewall 28. Hydraulic cylinder 66 is supplied with pressure fluid from a hydraulic pump (not shown) driven by engine 22 and supplied with pressure fluid from a tank (not shown) carried by the trailer which also supplies hydraulic fluid to other hydraulic elements of the machine.

Extension and retraction of cylinder rod 64 adjusts the level of the roll 52 and thus the outer ends of the tines 54 above the bottom of the bin as required, depending on the quantity of material within the bin.

Rake roll 52 is rotated in either direction by a variable speed and reversible motor 68 on the trailer platform through a suitable drive train to roll shaft 56. For example, as shown in .FIG. 2, motor 68 may be connected by belt means 69 to a drive pulley 70 on a drive shaft extension 71 mounted for rotation about the axis of pivot shaft 60 and connected by another belt pulley means 72 to a driven pulley 73 on an outer extension 74 of roll shaft 56.

Tines 54 may be arranged in straight rows as shown on the feed roll or may be arranged in staggered rows or spirally about the surface of the roll. As the roll is rotated in either direction, the tines serve to comb" the scrap lumber and other elongate members and thereby untangle the scrap so that it will be fed lengthwise into the chipper. Rotation of the roll in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1 also serves to retard the rate of feeding of the material into the chipper whereas rotation in a counterclockwise direction serves to increase the feed rate of material into the chipper.

In addition to an infeed opening facing in the direction toward the bin, chipper has a downwardly directed outfeed opening through which the resulting chipped scrap materials are deposited onto a transversely extending outfeed belt conveyor 80 suspended between upright support arms 81, 82 from the trailer frame. The belt conveyor is driven by a suitable motor 84, such as a variable speed hydraulic motor, shown mounted on the underside of trailer platform 20 and connected by a chain drive 85 to a drive sprocket 86 on a conveyor drive shaft. Conveyor motor 84 is preferably reversible so that the conveyor can feed material to either side of the trailer as required.

In addition to the foregoing basic components, the trailer may also be equipped with a loading elevator (not shown) driven by a suitable variable speed motor for loading scrap material into the rear end of the bin.

b. Chipping Apparatus With reference now especially to the more detailed views of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, chipper 10 includes a generally semicylindrical chipper housing 90 supported on a pair of transverse I- bearn frame members 92, 94 mounted on trailer platfonn 20. The space between the longitudinally spaced I-beam members, together with an opening 96 in the trailer platform define a bottom outfeed opening of the chipper housing. Housing 90 also defines a front infeed opening 98 extending the full width of the housing and facing in a direction toward the rear of the trailer and toward the outfeed end of bin 24. A suitable guideway defined by upright sidewalls 99 interconnects the outfeed end of the bin and the infeed opening 98 of the chipper housing to facilitate the flow of scrap from the bin into the chipper housing.

A relatively large main shaft 100 extends transversely through the center of chipper housing 90 and extends through opposite end walls 102, 103 of the housing. The opposite ends of the shaft are joumaled in roller bearing members 105, 106. The bearing housings have flange portions 107, 108 fastened to upper plate portions 110, 111 of longitudinal l-beam frame members 112, 1 13 supported on trailer platform 20. Shims I15, 116 are inserted between the bearing flanges and frame plates 110, 1 l 1 to adjust the level of shaft 100 vertically within the housing and particularly in relation to the cutting edge of an anvil member to be described.

Main shaft is driven by a multivee drive arrangement which includes a large driven sheave wheel 120 keyed to an outer extension 1 18 of the main shaft. A series of vee belts 122 are trained about sheave wheel I20 and about a sheave 124 on a drive shaft 125 of engine 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, shaft 100 mounts 10 pairs of laterally spaced apart plates 128, 130, or a total of 20 plates, with one plate of each pair being positioned in face to face abutting relationship with the adjacent plate 128a of the adjacent pair of plates 128a, 130a. As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, a spacer sleeve 132 on shaft 100 maintains separation of the plates 128, 130 of each pair. The plates are composed of relatively thick steel and their diameters are also considerable, approximating one-half of the diameter of the housing, so that the plates serve as flywheels to maintain momentum as the shaft rotates.

A pair of hammer knives 134, 135 is pivotally mounted on pivot pins 137 between each pair of plates 128, 130 at 180 spaced apart positions offset from the axis of rotation of main shaft 100. Pivot pins 137 are secured at their opposite ends within the opposed plates of each pair and mount the hammers in oilite bushings. Thus, there are a total of 20 hammer knives carried by the main shaft. The hammer knives between each pair of plates are staggered, or offset, circumferentially of the shaft 36 in relationship to the hammer knives between adjacent pairs of plates, as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, at any given time two hammer knives equally spaced on opposite sides of a transverse center plane of the shaft occupy the same relative positions on the shaft and balance the loading and stresses on the shaft.

The relative positions of the various hammers at any given time can be determined from FIGS. 3 and 5 wherein, as viewed in FIG. 3, the opposed hammers at the extreme righthand end of the housing are given the reference numerals 134, 135, the next adjacent pair of hammers are given the designations 134a, 135a and the next adjacent pair of hammers 134b, 135b,'and so on proceeding toward the center plane of the shaft so that the hammers at the center would have the designations 134d, 135d. Proceeding from the left-hand end of the shaft as viewed in FIG. 3, the extreme left-hand hammers could be given the designations 134 and 1135 and would occupy exactly the same positions as the extreme right-hand hammers I34, 135. Then, referring to FIG. 5, the relative positions of each set of hammers about the shaft at any time can be determined.

Referring especially to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, each hammer knife 134 is identical in construction to its paired hammer knife 135. Each hammer knife includes a stern portion 140 having a considerable vertical depth but a relatively small transverse width as compared to its depth. The stem has a pivot pin opening 142 therethrough adjacent its inner end 143. An enlarged head portion 145 is joined to the stem at its opposite outer end.

The head defines shoulder portions 146, 147 at its intersection with the stem, and as viewed in a vertical plane as in FIG. 6, the shoulders slope downwardly and inwardly from a trailing edge of the hammer knife to the leading edge thereof, so as to provide an abutment-type stop which coacts with the outer peripheral edge of its associated plates 128, 130 to limit forward and rearward pivoting movement of the hammer knife on its pivot pin 137. The slope of shoulders 146, 147 is such that; as viewed in FIG. 5, the hammer knives are not permitted to pivot forwardly in the direction of rotation of the main shaft beyond a radial disposition with respect to such shaft. However, for a purpose to be explained later, pivoting movement is permitted rearwardly of a radial disposition of the knives to the position as shown in the phantom lines with respect to hammer knife 134.

Head 145 includes a front face 149 sloping downwardly and side faces I40, 151 sloping inwardly to a pointed outer end 152. The head also defines a fiat bottom leading face 154 which at its intersection with side faces 150, 151 defines shear cutting edges 156, 157 converging at outer point 152.

Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, as the hammer knives rotate on the main shaft 100, the cutting edges thereof coact with complementary cutting edges 160, 161 of a shear block, or anvil, 162 positioned just inside and below infeed opening 98 of the chipper housing. As viewed in plan as in FIG. 4, anvil 162 has a sawtooth configuration with each pair of angular cutting edges 160, 161 coacting with corresponding cutting edges 157, 156, respectively of each hammer knife 134, 135, to shear any material fed across the top of the anvil.

Shear block 162 is supported on l-beam frame member 92 and is constructed in two parts including a main body portion 164 and an upper replaceable plate 165 composed of specially hardened abrasive-resistant steel. Top plate 165 may be bolted to main body 164 of the shear block, and block 164 in turn is welded or otherwise secured to opposite side plate members 167, 168. The side members in turn are bolted to rearward extension members 169. These extension members may be provided with means for adjusting the shear block inwardly and outwardly of the housing such as by means of the illustrated rack gear 170 along a bottom edge of extension member 169 in engagement with a pinion 172 having a pinion shaft rotatable by an adjustment wheel 174 shown in FIG. 1. The pinion shaft is rotatably joumaled on an upright support member 176.

With reference to FIG. 5, it will be noted that the axis of main shaft 100 is positioned above the top cutting edges of shear block 162 so that when the cutting edges of each hammer knife pass through the horizontal cutting plane of the shear block, each hammer knife describes a negative angle of attack a with respect to the cutting edges of the shear block. The negative angle of attack a provides the chipper with a selffeeding action in that scrap material on the anvil will be forced inwardly of the housing by the cutting action of the knives.

The angle of attack a shown is approximately 4 but may be varied in accordance with the rate of feed desired, the material to be chipped and other conditions, by raising or lowering the main shaft 100 within the housing through the use of shims 115, 116 between the shaft bearings and chipper frame. It will be apparent that elevating main shaft 100 relative to the shear block will increase the angle of attack and thereby increase the self-feeding action of the hammer knives, whereas lowering the shaft will decrease the angle of attack and reduce the self-feeding action of the knives.

Chipper housing 90 is provided with a hinged lower access cover portion 178 to provide access into the interior of the housing through the rear end thereof for purposes of maintenance and inspection of the hammer knives and other internal workings of the chipper.

c. Operation In operation, with motor 46 operating to vibrate bin 24, scrap materials are fed through the rear end of the bin by hand, bucket or grapple-type loader, conveyor or other means. The material gravitates forwardly down the bin incline to the feed roll 50 which straightens and untangles the lumber and other scrap before raking the same toward chipper 10. An operator stationed at a control console 180 on the trailer between the bin and the chipper can control all operations from this position, including the direction of rotation of the rake, level of rake above the bottom of the bin, and speed of rotation of the chipper.

Material fed into the chipper through infeed opening 98 and across the top of anvil 162 is sheared by impact and shearing action of the rapidly rotating hammer knives into chevronshaped, first-size chunks. The hammer knives carry the chipped scrap downwardly through the housing and out through bottom outfeed opening 96 onto belt conveyor 80, which conveys the cut scrap either to a storage pile for later loading or directly onto an awaiting truck. It is estimated, for example, that a quantity of scrap formerly filling five dumptype trucks will fill only a single one of such trucks after being chipped. Moreover, the resulting chipped scrap may be mar ketable as land fill. Combustible scrap materials when chipped need not be destroyed by burning, and thus a significant source of air pollution in and around urban areas can be eliminated.

Ordinarily, as the knives rotate for shearing cooperation with the shear block, there is a very small minimum clearance of, for example, one-sixteenth of an inch between the knife cutting edges and the cooperative shear block cutting edges. However, if during the downward movement of the hammer knives toward the shear block, a knife strikes an object of scrap that is either too hard or too bulky to be sheared, the object forces the knife to pivot rearwardly about its pin connection 137 as shown in phantom lines with respect to hammer 134 of FIG. 5, to increase the clearance between the anvil and knife cutting edges and thereby permit the object to pass through the housing without damage to the knife or other mechanism of the machine. For example, with a machine of the relative dimensions shown, having a normal clearance of one-sixteenth inch between the knife cutting edges and the shear block cutting edges, rearward pivoting movement of a knife to its extreme position as determined by the shoulders 146, 147 of the head of the knife, increases the clearance to about 1 l/ 16 inches to permit relatively thick metal plates and other objects to pass through the machine. However, normally in chipping scrap lumber and other relatively soft metal and masonry objects, the knives will not retract or will do so only momentarily and to a limited extent during shearing impact with the scrap material.

d. Example The following is a specification for a typical machine suitable for housewrecking operations: The chipper has a housing, frame and other elements such as the main body of the shear block made of welded structural steel normalized after assembly. The main shaft has a diameter of 5 15/16 inch of No. 4340 heat-treated, stress-relieved, turned and ground steel. The flywheels or plates 128, 130 are 1% inch by 24-inch hot rolled steel. The hammer knives are composed of No. 4340 cast steel, heat-treated and ground. The top plate of the anvil is composed of AR steel plate of sawtooth configuration. The infeed opening is 12 inches high by 60 inches wide, and the weight of the entire chipper unit is estimated at approximately l2,600 pounds. The preferable speed of rotation of the main shaft for most housewrecking purposes is approximately 750 revolutions per minute, with this speed being variable to suit particular conditions. Such a speed would provide 15,000 shearing cuts per minute. Bearings 105 and 106. are heavy duty Timken roller bearings lubricated by oil bath. Each hammer knife weighs approximately 47 pounds.

The bin vibrating motor 46 is a 7%horsepower (hp.) hydraulic motor which operates at speeds of from 300 to 400 r.p.m. variable by means of a control at the operators console 180. Outfeed conveyor is driven by a 5 hp'. hydraulic motor 84 having a variable speed capable of operating the conveyor belt at speeds of from 200 to 400 feet per minute. The motor is also preferably reversible to feed the ground-up scrap to the right or left side of the vehicle. Motor 68 for feed roll 50 is a 7%hp. motor having a variable speed operated at approximately r.p.m. and reversible to hold, reverse or feed material at the operator's option by controls on console 180. For the above hydraulic motors, a hydraulic pump of 40 gallons per minute is provided to supply pressure at 250 pounds per square inch from a hydraulic tank on the trailer having a l20-gallon capacity.

It is to be understood that the above is merely a typical specification of a chipper in accordance with my invention suitable for house wrecking purposes and that any sizes, speeds, materials and other specifications are variable depending on the intended end use of the chipper.

A machine of the inch thick. Specification would be capable of chipping not only scrap lumber but also electrical conduit, water pipes, common house metals such as hinges, nails, etc.

and scrap consisting of up to 25 percent brick and other masonry. Moreover, a machine of the foregoing specification is designed for shearing steel plate up to three-eights inch thick.

Having illustrated and described what is now a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

ll. Apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials such as wood, masonry and metal into small pieces comprising:

an anvil having a continuous cutting edge defining the width of a cutting area through which said scrap materials pass;

a rotor having an axis of rotation extending parallel to the general direction of said anvil cutting edge;

a plurality of hammer knives pivoted to said rotor,

each said hammer knife having a knife cutting edge passing in close cooperative shear cutting relationship with a minor portion of the length of said anvil cutting edge upon rotation of said rotor; and

said hammer knives being arranged in lateral relationship to one another on said rotor in a manner so that upon each revolution of said rotor the knife cutting edges of said hammer knives together can make a substantially continuous cut throughout the width of said cutting area.

2. Apparatus according to claim ll wherein said rotor includes a central shaft rotatable about said axis of rotation, said hammer knives being pivoted to said shaft at positions offset from said axis of rotation for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said axis of rotation.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said shaft includes pairs of laterally spaced apart plates pivotally mounting said hammer knives therebetween with the cutting edges of said hammer knives being positioned outwardly beyond outer peripheral edges of said plates.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each said hammer knife includes a narrow stem portion pivoted between said plates and an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge positioned outwardly of said plates.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said head portion is enlarged transversely relative to said stem so as to extend transversely beyond the limits of the space between said plates, said head defining a shoulder at its intersection with said stem, said shoulder being positioned for cooperative engagement with an outer peripheral edge of aid plates for limiting pivotal movement of said hammer knife.

6. Apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials into small pieces to reduce their bulk comprising:

movable knife means having an outer knife cutting edge;

shear means including a stationary anvil block defining a shear cutting edge for coactioii with said knife cutting edge;

means for moving said knife means past said shear means in a manner so that said knife cuttirig edge passes in shearing relationship to said shear cutting edge; means mounting said knife means for pivotal movement on said moving means in a manner so that said knife cutting edge can pivot away from said shear cutting edge during the general movement of said knife means past said shear means; said moving means including a shaft means rotatable about a central axis of rotation;

said shaft means including a pair of laterally spaced apart plates pivotally mounting said knife means there between for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to and offset from said central axis;

said knife means including a narrow stern portion pivoted between said plates and an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge positioned outwardly of said plates;

said head portion being enlarged transversely relative to said stem so as to extend transversely beyond the limits of the space between said plates;

said head defining a shoulder at its intersection with said stem; and

said shoulder being positioned for cooperative engagement with an outer peripheral edge of said plates for limiting pivotal movement of said knife means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said shoulder extends at an inclination away from said plates in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said plates so as to limit pivotal movement of said knife means forwardly in the direction of rotation of said plates beyond a substantially radial disposition thereof with respect to said axis of rotation and so as to permit rearward pivoting movement of said knife means from a radial disposition to increase the clearance between the cutting edge of said knife means and the cutting edge of said shear means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotor and said hammer knives include stop means for limiting pivotal movement of said hammer knives relative to said anvil.

9. Apparatus according to claim ll wherein each said hammer knife includes an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said head portion tapers to a pointed outer end so that said knife cutting edge defines a pair of cutting edge portions converging at said outer end, said anvil including a shear block defining anvil cutting edge portions complementary to said cutting edge portions of said head portion.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hammer knife has a broad, flat material-confronting face and said knife cutting edge is on said face and includes a generally veeshaped knife cutting edge.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hammer knife includes a thin, elongate stem and a head enlarged transversely relative to said stem, said hammer knife including said head and stem being generally arrow-shaped as viewed toward the leading surfaces thereof with said head tapering to an outer point to define a pair of outwardly converging cutting edges.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are at least a pair of said hammer knives moving past said anvil cutting edge in sequence in the same plane of rotation.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said hammer knives in the same plane of rotation are equally circumferentially spaced apart on said rotor.

15. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of said knife means pivoted on said shaft means at longitudinally spaced positions along said shaft means.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein longitudinally adjacent ones of said knife means are offset circumferentially from one another relative to the axis of rotation of said shaft means so that said plurality of knife means rotate past said shear means in a predetermined sequence.

1'7. Apparatus according to claim 6 including a plurality of pairs of said laterally spaced apart plates mounted on said shaft means with at least two knife means pivoted between each pair of said plates at equally circumferentially spaced apart positions.

18. Apparatus l to claim 17 wherein the plural knife means pivoted between each pair of said plates are offset circumferehtially from the corresponding knife means pivoted between the adjacent pairs of plates.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said axis of rotation extends horizontally, and including housing means enclosing said rotor and said hammer knives, said housing means including an infeed opening just above said anvil and an outfeed opening centered less than from said infeed opening in a direction downstream from said infeed opening as determined by the direction of rotation of said rotor, whereby pieces of material sheared by said hammer knives are carried downstream from said infeed opening and outwardly through said outfeed opening by the impact and motion of said hammer knives 20. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding materials into said infeed opening, said conveyor means including vibratory bin means for receiving materials to be cut, including an infeed end and an opposite outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening, and means mounting said bin means at a downward inclination in a direction toward said outfeed end whereby materials deposited in said bin means will gravitate slowly toward said infeed opening.

21. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding bulk materials into said infeed opening, said conveyor means including bin means for receiving said materi als to be cut, said bin means including an infeed end and an outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening, and rake means adjacent said outfeed end for straightening material for insertion into said infeed opening and for raking said materials toward said infeed opening from said bin means.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said rake means includes a rotatably mounted roll member, a series of tine means radiating from a peripheral surface of said roll member, and means for rotating said roll member.

23. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding bulk materials to be shredded into said infeed opening:

said conveyor means including vibratory bin means for receiving said bulk materials, including an outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening;

means mounting said bin means at a downward inclination in a direction toward said outfeed end and said infeed opening;

rake means within said bin and adjacent said outfeed end for straightening materials prior to insertion into said infeed opening and for raking said materials toward said infeed opening.

24. Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said rake means includes a rotatably mounted roll means, tines radiating from a peripheral surface of said roll means, and means for rotating said roll means in opposite directions.

25. Apparatus according to claim 24 including means for adjusting the level of said rake means above the bottom of said .119. bin means to vary the material-metering effect of said rake means.

26. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a horizontal shaft and a plurality of pairs of spaced plate members fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith;

said hammer knives being pivoted between said pairs of plates, with the hammer knives between longitudinally adjacent pairs of plates being offset circumferentially from one another;

said anvil cutting edge extending horizontally and being positioned at a level below the axis of rotation of said rotor; and

said hammer knives being mounted in a manner relative to said axis of rotation such that said knife cutting edges describe a negative angle of attack with respect to said anvil at the position of shearing interaction between said knife cutting edges and said anvil cutting edge.

27. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein laterally related hammer knives are mounted in staggered relationship with respect to one another on said rotor in a manner so as to impose a balanced loading of said rotor during a sequential impact of said hammer knives with material on said anvil.

28. In an apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials such as wood, masonry and metal into small pieces, a hammer knife member adapted for pivotal mounting on a rotor for coacting in shear cutting relationship with an anvil, said hammer knife member comprising:

a narrow single stem portion including means near one end of said stem portion for pivotally mounting said stem portion on said rotor;

an enlarged head portion integral with the opposite end of said stem portion and having a reater width than said stem portion and intersecting sat stem portion at a pair of shoulders extending laterally from opposite sides of said stem portion; and said head portion including bottom and frontal surfaces intersecting at a pair of forward cutting edges which converge to define a point. 29. Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said shoulders are inclined rearwardly in a direction from an upper surface portion of said head portion toward said bottom surface. 

1. Apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials such as wood, masonry and metal into small pieces comprising: an anvil having a continuous cutting edge defining the width of a cutting area through which said scrap materials pass; a rotor having an axis of rotation extending parallel to the general direction of said anvil cutting edge; a plurality of hammer knives pivoted to said rotor, each said hammer knife having a knife cutting edge passing in close cooperative shear cutting relationship with a minor portion of the length of said anvil cutting edge upon rotation of said rotor; and said hammer knives being arranged in lateral relationship to one another on said rotor in a manner so that upon each revolution of said rotor the knife cutting edges of said hammer knives together can make a substantially continuous cut throughout the width of said cutting area.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a central shaft rotatable about said axis of rotation, said hammer knives being pivoted to said shaft at positions offset from said axis of rotation for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said axis of rotation.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said shaft includes pairs of laterally spaced apart plates pivotally mounting said hammer knives therebetween with the cutting edges of said hammer knives being positioned outwardly beyond outer peripheral edges of said plates.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each said hammer knife includes a narrow stem portion pivoted between said plates and an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge positioned outwardly of said plates.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said head portion is enlarged transversely relative to said stem so as to extend transversely beyond the limits of the space between said plates, said head defining a shoulder at its intersection with said stem, said shoulder being positioned for cooperative engagement with an outer peripheral edge of aid plates for limiting pivotal movement of said hammer knife.
 6. Apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials into small pieces to reduce their bulk comprising: movable knife means having an outer knife cutting edge; shear means including a stationary anvil block defining a shear cutting edge for coaction with said knife cutting edge; means for moving said knife means past said shear means in a manner so that said knife cutting edge passes in shearing relationship to said shear cutting edge; means mounting said knife means for pivotal movement on said moving means in a manner so that said knife cutting edge can pivot away from said shear cutting edge during the general movement of said knife means past said shear means; said moving means including a shaft means rotatable about a central axis of rotation; said shaft means including a pair of laterally spaced apart plates pivotally mounting said knife means there between for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to and offset from said central axis; said knife means including a narrow stem portion pivoted between said plates and an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge positioned outwardly of said plates; said head portion being enlarged transversely relative to said stem so as to extend transversely beyond the limits of the space between said plates; said head defining a shoulder at its intersection with said stem; and said shoulder being positioned for cooperative engagement with an outer peripheral edge of said plates for limiting pivotal movement of said knife means.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said shoulder extends at an inclination away from said plates in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of said plates so as to limit pivotal movement of said knife means forwardly in the direction of rotation of said plates beyond a substantially radial disposition thereof with respect to said axis of rotation and so as to permit rearward pivoting movement of said knife means from a radial disposition to increase the clearance between the cutting edge of said knife means and the cutting edge of said shear means.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotor and said hammer knives include stop means for limiting pivotal movement of said hammer knives relative to said anvil.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each said hammer knife includes an enlarged head portion including said knife cutting edge.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said head portion tapers to a pointed outer end so that said knife cutting edge defines a pair of cutting edge portions converging at said outer end, said anvil including a shear block defining anvil cutting edge portions complementary to said cutting edge portions of said head portion.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hammer knife has a broad, flat material-confronting face and said knife cutting edge is on said face and includes a generally vee-shaped knife cutting edge.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hammer knife includes a thin, elongate stem and a head enlarged transversely relative to said stem, said hammer knife including said head and stem being generally arrow-shaped as viewed toward the leading surfaces thereof with said head tapering to an outer point to define a pair of outwardly converging cutting edges.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are at least a pair of said hammer knives moving past said anvil cutting edge in sequence in the same plane of rotation.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said hammer knives in the same plane of rotation are equally circumferentially spaced apart on said rotor.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of said knife means pivoted on said shaft means at longitudinally spaced positions along said shaft means.
 16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein longitudinally adjacent ones of said knife means are offset circumferentially from one another relative to the axis of rotation of said shaft means so that said plurality of knife means rotate past said shear means in a predetermined sequence.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 6 including a plurality of pairs of said laterally spaced apart plates mounted on said shaft means with at least two knife means pivoted between each pair of said plates at equally circumferentially spaced apart positions.
 18. Apparatus 1 to claim 17 wherein the plural knife means pivoted between each pair of said plates are offset circumferentially from the corresponding knife means pivoted between the adjacent pairs of plates.
 19. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said axis of rotation extends horizontally, and including housing means enclosing said rotor and said hammer knives, said housing means including an infeed opening just above said anvil and an outfeed opening centered less than 180* from said infeed opening in a direction downstream from said infeed opening as determined by the direction of rotation of said rotor, whereby pieces of material sheared by said hammer knives are carried downstream from said infeed opening and outwardly through said outfeed opening by the impact and motion of said hammer knives
 20. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding materials into said infeed opening, said conveyor means including vibratory bin means for receiving materials to be cut, including an infeed end and an opposite outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening, and means mounting said bin means at a downward inclination in a direction toward said outfeed end whereby materials deposited in said bin means will gravitate slowly toward said infeed opening.
 21. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding bulk materials into said infeed opening, said conveyor means including bin means for receiving said materials to be cut, said bin means including an infeed end and an outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening, and rake means adjacent said outfeed end for straightening material for insertion into said infeed opening and for raking said materials toward said infeed opening from said bin means.
 22. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said rake means includes a rotatably mounted roll member, a series of tine means radiating from a peripheral surface of said roll member, and means for rotating said roll member.
 23. Apparatus according to claim 19 including conveyor means for feeding bulk materials to be shredded into said infeed opening: said conveyor means including vibratory bin means for receiving said bulk materials, including an outfeed end adjacent said infeed opening; means mounting said bin means at a downward inclination in a direction toward said outfeed end and said infeed opening; rake means within said bin and adjacent said outfeed end for straightening materials prior to insertion into said infeed opening and for raking said materials toward said infeed opening.
 24. Apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said rake means includes a rotatably mounted roll means, tines radiating from a peripheral surface of said roll means, and means for rotating said roll means in opposite directions.
 25. Apparatus according to claim 24 including means for adjusting the level of said rake means above the bottom of said bin means to vary the material-metering effect of said rake means.
 26. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a horizontal shaft and a plurality of pairs of spaced plate members fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith; said hammer knives being pivoted between said pairs of plates, with the hammer knives between lonGitudinally adjacent pairs of plates being offset circumferentially from one another; said anvil cutting edge extending horizontally and being positioned at a level below the axis of rotation of said rotor; and said hammer knives being mounted in a manner relative to said axis of rotation such that said knife cutting edges describe a negative angle of attack with respect to said anvil at the position of shearing interaction between said knife cutting edges and said anvil cutting edge.
 27. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein laterally related hammer knives are mounted in staggered relationship with respect to one another on said rotor in a manner so as to impose a balanced loading of said rotor during a sequential impact of said hammer knives with material on said anvil.
 28. In an apparatus for cutting various bulk scrap materials such as wood, masonry and metal into small pieces, a hammer knife member adapted for pivotal mounting on a rotor for coacting in shear cutting relationship with an anvil, said hammer knife member comprising: a narrow single stem portion including means near one end of said stem portion for pivotally mounting said stem portion on said rotor; an enlarged head portion integral with the opposite end of said stem portion and having a greater width than said stem portion and intersecting said stem portion at a pair of shoulders extending laterally from opposite sides of said stem portion; and said head portion including bottom and frontal surfaces intersecting at a pair of forward cutting edges which converge to define a point.
 29. Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said shoulders are inclined rearwardly in a direction from an upper surface portion of said head portion toward said bottom surface. 